If you like pesto, you will LOVE this sandwich recipe! If you have not tried pesto, you are missing out! It is usually served on pasta or with bruschetta. The focaccia bread really adds a lot of flavor, but does add calories. The chicken salad would be good on any type of bread. My husband enjoyed it without the roasted red peppers, but I thought they added a little something.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup pesto sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I used the bottled kind and it was fine.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cubed rotisserie- cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (Canned chicken can be substituted.)
1 cup diced celery
1 (1 lb) focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally, toasted, and cut into 20 slices
1 (12 ounce) bottled roasted red peppers, drained & chopped
10 romaine lettuce leaves
Directions:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl and whisk together
Add chicken and celery
Assemble sandwich with bread, chicken salad, roasted red peppers and lettuce
Homemade pasta can be the perfect dish to impress people. While a pasta machine isn't a necessity, they are only $20 and can help perfect your pasta. The recipe below is for the pasta dough. Once the dough is made and rolled out, any kind of pasta can be achieved. Semolina flour will produce pasta with a similar texture to what we are used to buying in a box. White flour will be similar but a bit thicker.
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina or white flour + extra later on
2 eggs
2 tsp of olive oil
Dash of salt
Directions:
Begin by pouring 1 cup of flour onto a clean counter top and forming it into a wall.
Next pour in 2 eggs, olive oil and salt.
Using a fork, begin mixing eggs, oil and salt.
Slowly begin adding flour wall to mixture. Continue until mixing becomes difficult and the mixture becomes more like dough than liquid.
Put some flour onto your hands and scrape off the egg mixture from the fork.
Begin kneading the dough with your hands until it is shiny and no longer sticky. Split dough into 3-4 sections.
Now you can run your dough through a pasta machine starting on the widest setting. Each time you run it through, switch to one setting smaller. If you don't have a past machine, roll the past out with a rolling pin until very thin.
If you're going to make spaghetti, use a pizza cutter to cut dough into thin strips. Or you can use the attachment that is included with the pasta machine.
Another option would be to make a stuffed pasta. Some of the ideas of items to put inside include:
Italian sausage - cooked
Ricotta cheese
Garlic
Sun-dried tomatoes
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Mushrooms
Basil
3. Start with one of your very thin sheets of pasta. Put small spoonfuls of your mixture onto your dough a few inches a part. Try to work quickly because the dough can get dried out.
4. Fold the dough over to cover your spoonsfuls. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut dough in between each spoonful.
5. Dip your finger in water and moisten edges of dough and then press together. You can use a fork to press together for a decorative edge.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for both spaghetti or stuffed pasta. Put noodles into water and continue boiling. Spaghetti or fettuccine noodles will take anywhere from 5-8 minutes depending on how thick they are. The stuffed pastas can take up to 12 minutes. I encourage you to taste one to decide how you prefer your noodles done.
This recipe can make a lot so another option would be to freeze what you don't want to use. The stuffed pasta freezes great and can be thrown right into boiling water when ready to use.
This recipe can be made in less than 20 minutes. It was absolutely delicious and made a lot of leftovers!!! Helpful hints:
We used spicy sausage and it gave it a great kick!
The boxes of couscous we found at our local grocery store were only 5 oz so we had to make an extra trip back to the grocery store. We also used the Mediterranean flavor, but any flavor of couscous would work well. They even sell whole-grain for a healthier version. Couscous cooks up quicker than minute rice and is light and fluffy.
Cory suggested removing the tails of the shrimp, but I think it looks more authentic with the tails. Your choice!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon(s) canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), seeded, diced
8 ounce(s) fully cooked kielbasa or andouille sausage, cut into diagonal slices
2 teaspoon(s) Cajun or Creole seasoning
2 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
1 box(es) (10-ounce) plain couscous
1 pound(s) cooked large shrimp, tails intact
Directions
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, sausage, and Cajun seasoning and cook about 5 minutes, until onions and peppers are softened and sausage is browned.
Stir in tomatoes and their juices. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 7 minutes. Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package instructions.
Add shrimp to skillet and cook about 3 minutes, until heated. Add couscous to skillet and stir to combine.
This recipe was made by a guest speaker in my classroom. All 150 students loved it, so I knew it was a hit! I brought it to my family Christmas and they loved it as well.
I serve it with chips and people are surprised that the recipe has watermelon and not tomatoes. It looks a lot like pico de gallo. Serve it with anything salty. It would be a great topping on pork chops.
Ingredients:
¼ watermelon, seeds removed, diced
½ cup rice wine vinegar or regular white vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1.5 tsp of ground ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1-2 serrano peppers, minced
1 tsp basil
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 scallions, sliced
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix everything together except for the watermelon.
This recipe was tried by the Markert family tonight and it turned out great! It was super easy and tasty. It's also pretty healthy for you. Try it out!!!
Ingredients:
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 -8 chicken thighs
Rice
Pineapple
Directions
Mix together the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until the sugar is dissolved.
Put cleaned and dry chicken thighs in a large sealable plastic bag.
Add the soy mixture, force out excess air and leave to marinate for up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 425F
Transfer chicken and marinade to a large shallow baking pan (do not crowd chicken) then roast in middle of oven turning twice until chicken is cooked through for about 35-40 minutes.
Arrange chicken on serving dish. (I place the chicken in the microwave without turning it on to trap the heat.)
Pour the pan juices into a sauce pan. Add 1/3 cup water and bring to a simmer. Do this for about 5 minutes.
While making the sauce, place pineapple chunks into skillet and cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat.
